As part of the national strategy against diabetes, Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne today inaugurated a new ward at Mater Dei Hospital dedicated to patients who suffer from complications in their legs due to the illness.

The ward, he explained,  saw an investment of 400,000 euro; and will house a total of 14 beds and see 1,000 patients every year.

He said that the ward, will allow for specialized care, and was the result of the utilisation of misused space under the previous administration.

Currently, there are roughly 40,000 individuals who suffer from diabetes in Malta, meaning that one in every eight adults between the ages of 25-65 suffer from the condition.

Fearne noted that while leg amputations have almost halved in the last ten years, toe amputations have doubled.